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Feeling Sleepy? Take a Nap!

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I’d always considered daytime napping a slothful time-waster.

I also remember reading popular articles that pronounced daytime napping would reduce the quality of nighttime sleep.

A friend gave me a ratty recliner for recuperation after my knee-replacement surgery. It doesn’t match the decor, takes up way too much space, but man, is it comfy. I found it a perfect place to nod off.

Is napping a no-no? It turns out that napping is actually good for your health.

Sleep deprivation is associated with injuries, chronic diseases, mental illnesses, poor quality of life and well-being, increased health care costs, and lost work. Sleep problems are critically under-addressed contributors to some chronic conditions, including obesity and depression.

But it turns out, the science of sleep is complicated. What does sleep do for us? Some recent research suggests that sleep clears the brain of neurotoxic waste products. Other research focuses on how much we need at what ages, and whether it’s better to sleep in one long stretch or in phases, like most other mammals.

Repaying your sleep debt?

“Fortunately, sleep doesn’t charge interest on the unpaid balance, or even demand a one-for-one repayment. It may take some work, but you can repay even a chronic, longstanding sleep debt,” wrote Harvard medical staff in a 2007 newsletter.

Yet more recent research (with mice) suggests that prolonged sleep deprivation may actually result in brain damage that can’t be repaired through “makeup sleep.”

So, about that nap

Fortunately for those of us who’ve begun to enjoy napping (or who’ve always napped), recent research has demonstrated the benefits of napping. A nap can improve alertness, creativity, mood, and our ability to learn and remember. It can reduce stress on the body, too, lowering risk of stroke, heart attack, diabetes.

A few weeks ago, the Boston Globe published a wonderful infographic on napping that delivers pretty much everything you need to know to about the whys and how-tos of napping. Check it out.

As for me, it's about time to shuffle over to that ugly old recliner and settle in for a few zzzs.

About This Blog

"Living Naturally" is all about living a naturally healthy lifestyle. Margaret Boyles covers health tips, ways to avoid illness, natural remedies, food that's good for body and soul, recipes for homemade beauty products, ideas to make your home a healthy and safe haven, and the latest news on health. Our goal is also to encourage self-sufficiency, whether it's relearning some age-old skills or getting informed on modern improvements that help us live better, healthier lives.